With speculation swirling over a federal job offer, Adams vows to stay put — but Trump and city elites prepare for a socialist upstart to take City Hall.
NEW YORK | New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he’s not going anywhere. But few in the city’s political class believe him.
Despite a fiery news conference in which Adams declared he’ll remain in the race, insiders and rivals suspect the embattled mayor is negotiating for an exit — potentially into a high-profile federal job. Reports suggest options range from an ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia to a senior post at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The backdrop is a high-stakes political shake-up. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s shocking Democratic primary victory has left city elites scrambling to prevent him from winning in November. President Donald Trump, who has intervened aggressively in city politics, told reporters he believes Mamdani is likely to become New York’s next mayor.
“We’re going to have a communist mayor in New York. How about that one?” Trump said in a radio interview.
Trump’s allies, including billionaire real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, have reportedly acted as intermediaries to entice Adams out of the race, hoping to clear a path for former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent. Cuomo, trailing Mamdani but polling well above Adams, is viewed by donors and establishment leaders as the only viable candidate to block Mamdani’s ascendance.
Adams, however, remains defiant.
“The job I want is to be the mayor of the city of New York,” he told reporters.
Yet skepticism runs deep. Adams is polling in single digits, weighed down by scandals, corruption charges (dismissed with Trump administration support), and slipping donor confidence. Billionaire hedge fund titan Bill Ackman has shifted his support from Adams to Cuomo, further signaling the mayor’s dwindling base of establishment backers.
The Political Math
- Zohran Mamdani: Holds a commanding lead, backed by progressives and energized grassroots voters.
- Andrew Cuomo: Banking on moderates, wealthy donors, and anti-Mamdani elites rallying behind him.
- Curtis Sliwa: The Republican candidate, polling third, insists he’ll remain unless “he dies.”
- Eric Adams: Struggling at the back of the pack, surrounded by speculation he’ll strike a deal.
Federal corruption cases, indictments of close advisers, and a year-long narrative of instability have left Adams politically weakened. His curious alliance with Trump — from trips to Mar-a-Lago to DOJ interventions in his legal troubles — has further complicated his standing in deep-blue New York.
Still, Adams’ denial may be strategic.
“It was getting chaotic how it was being reported,” said one person close to the mayor. “Obviously, if an administration job is possible, it wasn’t baked yet.”
For now, Adams’ name will remain on the November ballot regardless of his decision, due to New York’s ballot certification rules. But whether he campaigns in earnest or uses the race as leverage for a new role, his future — and New York City’s — is in flux.
As Trump himself acknowledged:
“If it’s not one-on-one, it’s gonna be a hard race. We’ll get used to a communist.”
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-- By James W. Thomas and Jasmine Thomas
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